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Velvety, rich, and perfectly sweet, this Cream Cheese Frosting is the ultimate topping for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. Smooth, creamy, and effortlessly spreadable, it takes any dessert from simple to show-stopping in minutes. With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up a frosting that’s as irresistible as it is easy to make!
Y’all, I’m so excited to finally share this frosting with you. I think I cracked the code for the best cream cheese frosting. Years ago, I was experimenting with my Red Velvet Cake recipe, and I used a recipe from my favorite bakery, Gabriel’s.
For their cream cheese frosting, they actually make a batch of buttercream and a batch of cream cheese, then mix the two. The addition of the buttercream gives the frosting a little more structure, so it pipes better and just holds up better.
I wasn’t about to make two batches of frosting because that sounded like too much work. But I determined that changing the cream cheese-to-butter ratio could accomplish essentially the same thing.
Testing results for cream cheese frosting
- We use TWO sticks (or 1 cup) of butter to 1 brick of cream cheese. You still get all the tanginess of the cream cheese, but the frosting has more structure with the extra butter.
- I usually make this with imitation clear vanilla, but if you’d rather use regular vanilla extract, that’s perfectly fine. Just know that it will tint your frosting just a tiny bit. Nobody has ever complained about that because they’re too busy devouring whatever delicious dessert this frosting is covering.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
There are so many things you can slather this cream cheese frosting on. I love it on my Carrot Cake or my Chocolate Cupcakes. Sometimes I’ll use this frosting on my Hershey’s Chocolate Cake instead of my usual Chocolate Buttercream.
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
5 cups icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
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Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup butter, room temperature on medium speed until creamy. Add 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and mix well until no
- Add 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and beat until mixed with butter and fluffy.
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar a little at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl, beating just until blended. Add 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix well.
- Adjust your mixing speed to high and continue to mix for approximately 3 minutes until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
